the worst day may still be coming
by Someone aka Me
Summary: Remus fights for custody of Harry.


As soon as Remus finds out where Harry has been placed, he makes an appointment in custody courts.

He never intended to care for Harry. But then, he always figured Sirius would be the one in charge if James and Lily died, since he was the one named Godfather. And he never really expected James and Lily to die at all.

Maybe thinking themselves invincible was a mistake.

Placing Harry with Petunia and her husband is a bigger mistake.

He walks into the courtroom with his head held high, and he says, "I want custody of Harry James Potter."

The room goes silent.

It's a large court, but only sparsely populated for custody cases, so the room sprawls and looks nearly empty, the colorless, rune-marked stone and unoccupied seats looking forlorn and abandoned. It sort of makes Remus feel like he's shouting into the void. He does it anyway.

As he continues, his voice echoes into the vast, empty room. "I know who Dumbledore has placed him with and they are unfit for custody. I won't disclose it to the court until you agree to see my case and sign non-disclosure agreements."

Amelia Bones looks at him. Her eyes are kind but steely. Her face gives nothing away.

"Mr. Lupin, you are a registered werewolf. How do you expect to manage sole custody of an infant?"

"If I can manage lycanthropy, I think I can manage a child."

Amelia looks entirely unimpressed. "I find that answer vague and unconvincing, at best."

Remus looks at the rest of the custody court. They are staring at him, all scrutinizing, none pleased.

"I might not be a great choice, but I think I may be the only one he's got."

"Mr. Lupin." Amelia looks over the rim of her spectacles at him. "Do you have proof of a steady source of income?"

"N-Not exactly," he mumbles.

"Do you have savings sufficient to support a child for sixteen years?"

"Well, no." He deflates a bit.

She sighs. "Mr. Lupin, I don't know what you want me to do. You want me to remove a child from the home of his nearest relative and place him in the care of a quintessentially unfit guardian on your word alone?"

"It doesn't have to be my word! You can see!"

"You know that we cannot. Headmaster Dumbledore has declared Harry's location a secret for safety reasons."

"Harry's safety is exactly what I'm worried about," Remus says.

Amelia leans forward. "Are you saying the child is in danger of abuse?"

And that… is a very severe accusation to make.

"Well, I…"

"Mr. Lupin, choose your words carefully. Do you or do you not believe that in his current position, the child likely faces abuse?"

"I don't know that for sure. Neglect, at the very least. They won't care about him, Amelia. They won't care about him at all." He is pleading with her, now. He knows Amelia — though she was never a member of the Order, her brother Edgar was. Edgar was a kind-hearted soul. He spoke fondly of his sister, calling her stern but fair. Remus knows Amelia only a little. He is hoping it will be enough.

He looks at her face and he honestly cannot tell if it it's going to be.

"Do you have anything else to say before we decide whether to take your case?"

Remus closes his eyes. That is probably not a great sign.

"Please," he says, and his voice comes out more broken than he intends it to. "Harry has lost _everything_. I only want to give him what I can."

She nods, and then tells him to leave the room. He does, and begins to pace the hallway, gnawing at a hangnail on his finger.

Once upon a time, Petunia had loved Lily. But by the end she was more bitter than loving, and she hadn't even invited Lily to her wedding. Neither had she shown up to Lily's wedding to James.

Lily had met Vernon only once, before he was a fianceé or a husband, but instead just a boyfriend. She hadn't had anything pleasant to say about the man. "A bigot and a bully," she had called him.

He continues pacing. It was war, he thinks. It was _war_ , how is it that it never occured to any of them that Harry needed a backup to his backup plan? How had they been so naive to believe they could never lose Lily and James and Sirius in one go?

They were young, and naive, and Harry is going to pay the price, unless Remus can somehow convince the courts to let him raise Harry.

A young woman comes to the door and says, "They're ready for you."

Remus walks back into the courtroom with heavy steps. He doesn't sit; he can't. He's got too much adrenaline running through his veins. He stands, and he looks Amelia Bones dead in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lupin, but you have no evidence that a case even exists, and even if it did, your claim to custody would have no basis. I must decline your case."

Remus bows his head.

Part of him understands. Part of him is just screaming.

"Thank you for hearing me," he says, because his mother raised him with manners even in the roughest of circumstances.

He walks out of the room and tries to put his fist through the stone wall of the hallway.

It doesn't work.

He stalks out of the Ministry and Apparates to Godric's Hollow.

The broken house takes the wind out of his anger. Instead, he falls to his knees in front of what was once a home.

His throat is tight.

He closes his eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he whispers. "I tried. I promise, I tried." He swallows. "It wasn't enough. I wasn't enough."

He sits in the mud of what used to be their front yard, staring at the broken remnants of those he loved most, and he cries.

* * *

Women's History: Task 2: Write about a (person) fighting to gain or regain custody of her child or children.

(365. 93. Dialogue - "I find that answer vague and unconvincing.") (Insane House: 1000 words) (Scavenger Hunt: write a fic set in Marauder's Era.) (Snek 25. Cottommouth - (word) mumble) (Cards 1. Poker - write about someone sporting a poker face) (Lent WC 6: 1000 words) (Buttons: Amelia Bones) (Lyric Alley: 18. Maybe when I get older) (Sabriel - Garth Nix - 4, 5, 7 - (plot point) Missing a loved one; (plot point) Taking on responsibilities; (word) Runes) 1000 words


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